Talk Back Aug. 18: Is Bay Area's emergency system adequate?

When this question came up previously, the complaint was that it couldn't be heard. There was Loma Prieta and the Oakland hills fire, which surely needed a warning system. As far as I know, nothing has changed.

My vote would to correct this problem as soon as possible. It's like not having smoke detectors in your home.

Diane Scott

Oakland

Looks like system is a meal ticket

The warning system is now a meal ticket, by the looks of all the claimants.

Jerry Collins

Antioch

System simply is not sufficient

It is not sufficient, due to the fact I first saw an emergency broadcast run across Channel 3 for Alameda County to close doors and windows, then saw nothing regarding Alameda County the night of the Chevron refinery fire.

Here I am in Hayward getting mixed signals. I can only imagine what the people of Richmond went through that night.

Tonia Rivera Gonsalves

Hayward

Warning system indeed did work

While the telephone emergency notification did not operate as quickly as desired, the other elements of the emergency warning system worked flawlessly in providing information to the community during Chevron's Aug. 6 incident in Richmond.

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Sirens sounded and were re-sounded every 30-40 minutes during the incident.

The media was notified immediately and started broadcasting shelter-in-place information and updates on the incident.

City, county, air district, fire, police, CHP and others were notified immediately, NWS radios were activated.

Social media through websites, Twitter and Facebook were also activated.

The system was built using no tax dollars. It was voluntarily funded by industry and industry continues to provide funding for maintenance and improvements.

This system was designed by community, agency and industry individuals who continue to work to improve the system's performance.

Community Awareness Emergency Response, along with its partners, continues to work to improve the system and to educate the public with information on its operation.

Tony Semenza

Martinez Semenza is the director of the nonprofit CAER

Early warning system is a sham

Didn't everyone get their early warning -- the sound of explosions, burning eyes and throats? The black smoke alone could be seen for miles.

I'm sure "big business" thinks it did enough: "What more can the community expect from us?"

Early warning and shelter-in-place is a sham. It is a kowtow to big business at the expense of the community; a political payback to big industry that saves them a few bucks.

Contra Costa County needs to wake up to the reality that industries burn and release toxic smoke all the time. It only takes 15 minutes for spilled crude to create an explosive vapor cloud.

Elected officials need to adopt ordinances requiring industries to shut down and foam entire sites within 15 minutes and to have enough manpower and modern equipment on site to handle any emergency.

It is time to make big industries live up to their hype and responsibilities: to become good neighbors, to pay their fair share, protect our communities and put our citizens back to work.